Packing for drift, gallery, or other openings in mines.



No. 685,522. Patented Oct. 29, l90l.

J. MUI'RHEAD.

PACKING FOR DRIFT. GALLERY, OR OTHER OPENINGS IN-MINES.

(Application filed July 1, 1901.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MUIRHEAD, OF PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN MUIRI-IEAD &SON, OF PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKING FOR DR IFT, GALLERY, OR OTHER OPENINGS IN MINES SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 68 5,522, dated October 29, 1901.

Application filed July 1, 1901- Serial No, 66,638. (No model.)

zen of the United States, residing at Pittston,

in the county of Luzerne, State of Pennsyl Vania, have invented a newand useful Iming in normal condition.

provement in Packing for Drift, Gallery, or other Openings in Mines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In mines the openings that lead from drifts, galleries, &c., to an upperpassage or the surface of the ground are at times enlarged in diameterfor various purposes, among others the insertion of tubes or pipes-asair, steam, or Water columns-reaching to the bottom of the wells oropenings and said tubes or pipes required to be packed, which is theobject of my invention.

Figure 1 represents a View of a mine-open- Fig. 2 represents a view ofthe same, showing a portion enlarged in diameter. Fig. 3 represents avertical section of packing embodying my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an opening leading from a driftor gallery of a mine to an upper passage or to the surface of theground, and B designates a bore or portion of said opening which isenlarged in diameter, said enlargement being capable of being producedby a drill, for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 456,7 7 0were granted to me on the 28th day of July, 1891; but any other suitabledrill may be employed for my purpose.

O designates a pipe or tube which occupies the enlarged opening or boreB, said pipe being of less diameter than said opening and has itsexterior incased in the packing D of cement or other suitable material,the same filling the portion of said bore B unoccupied by said pipe, itbeing noticed that said mate rial also covers the top edge of the pipeand extends horizontally inward, forming a shoul I der E. By thisprovision the pipe will be reliably packed, it being noticed that thesame is accomplished in a simple and inexpensive manner, for as the pipeis located in the bore the material D maybe placed around the same. Inthe present case the pipe 0 is employed as a column for pumpingmine-Water and is connected with the pump at its lower end.

While it is not necessary to extend said pipe to the surface, its upperend requires to be guarded and packed, whereby the water will not escapeto the exterior of the pipe and loosen the cement around the pipe, whichun= der ordinary circumstances tightly embraces the pipe and serves tohold the same from dropping.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mine opening having an; enlarged chamber below the same, a columnin said chamber, and packing material in the unoc= cupied portion ofsaid chamber around said pipe,said column extending downwardly from saidchamber to a pumping device with which it is connected.

2. A packing for a mine-opening consisting of a pipe occupying saidopening, and cement or other packing material filling the unoccupiedportion of said bore around said pipe, said material havinga shoulder atitsupper end, the same inclosing the adjacent edge of said pipe.

JOHN- MUIRHEAD.

Witnesses:

J. N. ANDERSON, W. L. MUIRHEAD.

